Game apparatus



(No Model.)

E. F.BUFFAT. GAME APPARATUS.

Nb. 566,134. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

A TTOR/VEYS.

UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

EDWARD FRANCIS BUFFAT, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,134, dated August18, 1896.

Application filed March 5, 1896.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD FRANCIS BUF- FAT, of Knoxville, in the countyof Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide an attractive and interestinggame called politics, which is intended to illustrate some of ournational political customs, or those of other nations having similarforms of government, and more especially to provide a game which willrepresent some of the principal features about an election and imitatethe casting of votes into a ballot-box, the names used in the carryingout of the game and the rules of the game being adjusted or changed soas to conform as nearly as possible to the surrounding conditions andnames of the candidates, questions, &c.., under consideration at thetime the game is being played, the location, laws, or regulations of anycity, county, convention, lodge, society, or association where acandidate is to be elected to any office or a question is to be decidedbyaballot.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 isa plan view of the game board or box, a part of the coverbeing broken away; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the 7 same.

In carrying out the invention the device used in playing the game may besaid to consist, primarily, of a body portion A and a cover B. These twoparts'are made to conform in shape to each other, the shape being variedas in practice may be found desirable. Usually, however, and preferably,the box, together with the cover, is given a circular form, asillustrated.

The body or box A is provided with a central circular partition 10,forming a central chamber 0, and the remaining portion of the box, orthat portion between the central partition 10 and its side edges 11, isdivided into a number of compartments .D, which may be termedsuboompartments, the divisions being made bya suitable number of radialpartitions 12. The cover B is provided with a dome-shaped or convexedcentral portion 13, which is of sufficient dimensions to extend over thecentral chamber 0 of the box or body of the device, and between thedome-section 13 of the said cover and its outer edge the surface ispreferably made more or less'flat, while at the margin of the cover aflange 15 is formed, which extends above the upper surface of the saidcover and likewise below the said upper surface, the lower portion ofthe flange being adapted to extend over the outside of the body of thedevice, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the covermay be held in placeon the said body, and the upwardlyextending portion of the cover-flange15 serves to prevent the escape of balls 16 or their equivalents,representing the ballots and employed in the carrying out of the game.

A partition 17 is erected in the central chamber 0, dividing the sameinto two compartments 18 and 19, and preferably the cover is in twocolors, the colors meeting at the central portion of the box, and theyare intended to represent candidates of different political faith, forexample. Two openings 20 are made in the dome portion 13 of the cover,one of the openings leading into each of the compartments of the centralchamber, and these openings are of slightly greater size and ofpractically corresponding shape to the balls 16 or other objectsemployed to represent the ballots. Openings 21 are made in the flatportion of the said cover 13, and the said openings correspond in numberto the number of the subcompartments or chambers D, representing theballot-boxes for the candidates of minor offices; and the openings 21are in two sets, one set belonging to each colored surface of the cover,and the openings of each set are graduated as to dimen- 'sions, thesmallest opening being round or corresponding in shape and practicallyin size to the openings 20 in the central portions'of the cover, whilethe other openings in each group are preferably made elongated, as shownin Fig. 1. The smallest opening 21 of one set is adjacent to the largestopening of the next set, and an opening 21 is 10- cated over each of theouter or subcompartments D. In fact, the openings 21 represent the boxesfor weaker candidatespolitical candidates, powers, or factions whichhave a tendency to retard the progress of the prin cipal candidates. Thenames of the candidates to be balloted for are written or otherwiseproduced upon the cover adjacent to the openings through which theballots are to be dropped.

In the preferred arrangement of the openings 21 the hole farthest to theleft of the dark section of the cover is of the same size as the twocentral openings 20, as heretofore stated. The next hole to the right ofthe dark portion of the cover is oblong, being of the same width as thefirst hole and twice as long as the diameter of the same, the third holeto the right being equal to three times the diameter of the first hole,while the fourth hole has a length four times as great as the firsthole, and also, as heretofore stated, both the dark and the light sidesof the cover are alike, each having the largest opening 21 at the rightof the main candidate chamber. The interior of the box is colored tocorrespond to the color of the cover.

Ballots or balls 16 are divided equally among the voters, each politicalparty, for example, being entitled to ten ballots. The game consists ofa voter holding a ballot between his fingers about fourinches above theballot-box and trying to drop it through the hole 20, representing thecandidate of his choice. Should he succeed, this ballot will count tenpoints, for example, in favor of his candidate. Should the ballot dropthrough the opposite hole, it

counts as ten points in favor of the opposing candidate. Should theballot miss both of the central openings 20 and roll into any one of themarginal openings 21, that ballot counts as one point against the sideto which the compartment belongs that receives the ballot. Should thevoter fail to drop or roll his ballot through any of the openings, hisopponent will have the right to take up his ballot and cast it as hisown. The candidate receiving the majorityof ballots is considered aselected. The rules of the game may be changed as occasion may demand, orto suit the requirements of any particular section of the country or ofany particular organization or body.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In a game apparatus, a box divided into a numberof compartments, and a cover for said box adapted to normally cover thecompartments and provided with a marginal flange extending above theupper surface of the cover, the said cover being provided with openingsleading into the various compartments, the openings being of differentsizes and arranged to receive an article, such as a ball, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, a box provided with a central compartmentsubdivided, and minor compartments radiating from the centralcompartment but independent thereof, and a cover provided with openingssimilar in size and leading into the subdivisions of the centralcompartment, the said cover being also provided with openings of varioussizes leading into the various marginal compartments as and for thepurpose specified.

3. In a game, a box provided with a central subdivided compartment, andmarginal compartments independent of the central one, and a cover havingan arched surface extending over the subdivisions of the centralcompartment and openings leading into the said divisions, the said coverbeing further provided with a marginal flange and graduated openingsbetween the arched portion of the cover and the said flange, theopenings leading into the marginal portions of the box, as and for thepurpose specified.

4:. In a game, the combination, with a box having a main subdividedcompartment, and marginal compartments independent of the maincompartment, of a cover provided with a dome-shaped surface arranged tocover the main compartment, the dome-surface of the cover being providedwith openings leading into the divisions of the main compartment, thesaid cover being also made in two colors, each color embracing asubcompartment of the main compartment and an equal number of themarginal compartments in the body, a

-fiange surrounding the margin of the cover,

the said cover being further provided with graduated openings-on each ofits colored por tions, an opening being located one over each marginalcompartment of the body, the smallest opening on one set being adjacentto the next opening of the opposing set of graduated openings, as andfor the purpose specified.

EDWARD FRANCIS BUFFAT.

lVitnesses:

FREDERICK WV. KUHLMAN, ELLA D. BUFFAT.

